About BMAT – UKCAT

The BioMedical Admissions test (BMAT) and The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT tests) are used by universities as a selection criterion for students who wish to study medicine, biomedical sciences or dentistry at certain UK and other universities. The examinations are generally agreed to be extremely challenging and difficult, and therefore require special intensive preparation to ensure excellent results.

The tutors at the Tree Foundation Tutorial College have actually taken either the BMAT and/or the UKCAT tests and have attended universities that require the respective qualifications as an entry requirement. If you are interested in preparing for either the BMAT or the UKCAT then please contact us.

The UKCAT is a CAT (Computer Adaptive Test) – that means that you take the test on a computer and that the questions adapt to your level as you proceed through the test. The test is administered by Pearson Vue and can be taken at a Pearson Vue Test Centre between July 1 and October 5 of any given year.

Questions in Sections 1 and 2 are worth 1 mark each. Total raw marks for each section are converted to BMAT's scale, which runs from 1 (low) to 9 (high). Typical BMAT candidates will score around 5.0, roughly half marks. The best candidates will score around 6.0, and a few exceptional candidates will score higher than 7.0.Writing Tasks in Section 3 are marked by two examiners. Each examiner gives two scores – one for quality of content (on a scale of 0–5), and one for quality of written English (on the scale A, C, E).

Combining the scores for Section 3: If the two marks for content are the same or no more than one mark apart, the candidate gets the average of the two marks. If the two marks for written English are the same or no more than one mark apart, the scores are combined like this: AA = A, AC = B, CC = C, CE = D and EE = E.
For example, a writing task given a 4C by one examiner and 4A by the other will get a final score of 4B. A writing task given 3C by one examiner and 2C by the other will receive a mark of 2.5C.If there is a larger discrepancy in the marks, the writing tasks are marked for a third time, and the final mark is checked by the Senior Assessment Manager.